


The Five Sins Of An Allfather

by roryheadmav



Series: Twilight of Ragnarok [1]
Category: Thor (2011)
Genre: Bestiality, Hermaphrodites, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mpreg, Parent/Child Incest, Rape/Non-con References
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-09-23
Updated: 2012-10-02
Packaged: 2017-11-14 22:05:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/519995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roryheadmav/pseuds/roryheadmav
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first tale in what I hope would be a trilogy, entitled "Twilight of Ragnarok". This first story in the trilogy is my version of the tale of Loki and his children. There will be scenes that will definitely make the reader uncomfortable, so consider yourself warned at this early stage.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Sin: Sleipnir

**THE FIVE SINS OF AN ALLFATHER**

**By Rory**

 

 

_In the eyes of the loyal citizens of Asgard, Odin Allfather was a great king, having led the Aesir through numerous military campaigns, the most notable among them being the tumultuous battle between King Laufey and the Frost Giants of Jotunheim. He was also known to be a wise and just ruler, meting out laws, decisions and commands that would benefit all in the realm._

_Perhaps if one were to ask Loki what his personal views of his father were, he would probably have agreed with everyone's assessments…if he were still the young, naïve boy he once was._

_But now, as he sat in a dank, moldy chamber in an undisclosed location, plotting to conquer the realm of Midgard, Loki Laufeyson—now, it makes him sick to the core to even call himself "Odinson"—would strongly disagree with everyone's views of the Allfather. Only he knew the kind of man truly Odin was, especially when he succumbed to the madness of Odinsleep deprivation._

_The leader of the Chitauri had just a few minutes ago said to him derisively, "Your ambition is little, full of childish need." He shuddered, remembering that frigid touch upon the right side of his face._

_There was nothing "childish" about his ambitions. While there was still that burning desire to become king—if not of Asgard, then Midgard would do—even greater was his wish to see the Aesir he had once called Father to be brought down to his knees and beg for forgiveness. For the grievous sins he had committed against the child he had deceived and whom he had so heinously betrayed, not just once, but five times. Even his other desire to be recognized as an equal with his half-brother Thor paled in comparison to his rage toward Odin._

_Oh, the Allfather had tried to strip the memory of those five sins from him with his powerful magic. But Loki, unknown to all, was the stronger sorcerer. Even if he had not possessed such great magical powers, his broken heart and his tainted soul would never let him forget...._

 

**_The First Sin: Sleipnir_ **

 

Loki was only sixteen years old when his father invited him and his older brother to attend the deliberations with the Asgardian council. With his sharp mind, he knew what Odin's motive behind the invitation was—to teach his sons the responsibilities that came with being of royal blood. It was intended to impress upon Thor—whose mind then was furthest from the thought of ruling—what he would most likely face when he ascends to the throne. In the case of Loki, Odin wanted his youngest to learn that he should soon discard his mischievous trickster ways if he were to serve as counsel to his older brother.

 

The matter at hand seemed easy enough to understand for two young boys. They wanted to build stronger fortifications around the city. The problem was that the builder who was offering his services demanded the sun and the moon as well as the hand of the beautiful goddess Freyja as payment.

 

It was obvious right from the start that Odin had no intention of seeing a highborn Vanir—and a visiting one to Asgard, at that—married to a lowly builder of questionable repute. Thor and Loki had looked at each other, frowning, when their father said that he wanted the walls built in three seasons' time. Truly, an impossible task.

 

Then, the builder asked if he could use his horse Svaðilfari to aid him in the building. Again, Odin and the Elders of the council considered the request, clearly pondering if there was some trick to this.

 

It was obvious to Loki that Thor was going to suggest to his father that he allow the builder to use his horse. Wanting to curry favor with his father, Loki chose to beat his brother to it by speaking his mind first.

 

"Father, if I may speak," Loki declared, his voice high and clear, echoing through the council hall. "I believe that we would be doing this man a disservice if we do not allow him to use his horse. I ask that the Council be reasonable. 'Tis a difficult task for just one man to accomplish. If you will not permit that he have his fellows aid him in the building, then let his horse serve as a substitute."

 

Odin fixed him with a gimlet eye. Although that sole blue eye could not hide the weariness from being deprived of Odinsleep, there was no denying that the mind behind it remained sharp, perhaps even sharper as a result of said deficiency. There was also something else, an undefined glint of… Loki withdrew from that sharp gaze, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. Still, he could not help pondering why this trivial matter warranted his father's not getting his much needed rest.

 

Loki was coaxed out of his thoughts by his father's query. "Do you know what it is that you are recommending to this council, my boy? If the outcome of this endeavor is not to our liking, you will suffer the consequences."

 

Thor was about to speak in favor of his younger brother's wisdom. But Loki straightened his body, a clear sign of his assuming all responsibility for his recommendation. "I will stand by my words, Father."

 

Odin had acquiesced to his youngest's advice, allowing the builder to use his horse. Loki, however, could never forget the strange look that his father had thrown his way after giving his pronouncement. It seemed as if the Allfather was absolutely certain that his son had made the wrong judgment.

 

Loki came to realize his mistake during the first month of construction. He had gone out riding to see to the builder's well-being. Great was his shock when he saw that a large part of the wall had already been built. From the cover of the trees, he watched as the builder hefted a heavy boulder on his back. Svaðilfari lifted twice, even thrice that load, pulling the rocks behind him on a crude cart or simply dragging them along with the ropes tied securely around them. By his calculations, at the rate they were going, there was no doubt in his mind that the builder and his hardy steed will make the deadline. Already, Loki was dreading what would happen if his father should find out about this.

 

It was three days near the deadline of summer that another meeting of the Elders was convened. A very displeased Odin had practically dragged his youngest son along to face the consequences of his actions. Loki was thankful that Thor was at Niflheim at the time, investigating on a secret matter for their father. He could not bear to be shamed in front of the brother whom he so admired.

 

Loki had stood there, silent and pale, as heated words flew fast and furious above his head. "Loki is to blame for this mess! Yes, it was Loki!" Freyja was the angriest of them all. "Allfather, I will not be coerced into marrying that…that filth! Give your son to him as payment! After all, he is pretty enough." In the end, he could only bite down on his lower lip to hold back his tears.

 

Loki winced, feeling his father's hand tighten painfully on his shoulder. Then Odin said to him, "I told you during that first meeting that you will suffer the consequences for your wrong judgment. You have just heard the angry words of the Elders and the Lady Freyja. Such a dreadful error holds only one punishment: a terrible death…unless you do something to make the builder forfeit his payment. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

 

Loki swallowed hard. It took every ounce of courage he could muster to look back at the furious Aesir before him and then gaze up at his father. "I swear to you, my King, the Lady Freyja, the Elders, that on my life and honor, I shall make the builder forfeit his payment. You have my word on it."

 

The Elders and Freyja would have said more, but Odin silenced them with a bang of Gungnir on the marbled floor. To Loki, he said nothing, except give the boy a lingering caress on his back, which made his youngest cringe inwardly in mixed terror and disgust. Never had his father touched him so familiarly.

 

Wanting to be free from that loathsome touch, Loki strode outside the council hall before his father could dismiss him. Once he was alone, his mind started to whirl with the fury of a maelstrom. While thoughts of a terrible death chilled his blood, even greater was his fear of his father's disapproval. He paused in the hallway, taking deep breaths to calm himself, bring his thoughts into order.

 

The problem lay not with the builder, but with his horse Svaðilfari. It was primarily because of this strange, but powerful steed that the builder was able to work at such an unnatural speed. If he could distract Svaðilfari somehow…

 

Suddenly, it hit him. THE plan. It was an outlandish plan, but it was something that he could easily accomplish with his magic, with seiðr, in particular.

 

Perhaps, if he only possessed the gift of foresight, he would have never gone through with it, the plan in question being the first of many that would either go awry or would be doomed to fail right from the beginning. But no, with all the eagerness of a boy wanting to please the parent he so loved and admired, he ran to his chambers to read through that ancient tome on shapeshifting, which he had pilfered from the Royal Library.

 

Loki had just recently discovered that he had the gift of seiðr. He knew that his magic was strong enough to allow him to change his form, but it was a talent that he had yet to control properly. Determination to see his plan through, however, gave him the courage and the confidence he would not have in a normal situation.

 

That night, Loki hid in the woods, not too far from where the builder and Svaðilfari were taking a brief respite to enjoy a meager meal. The delight at the prospect of finally earning Freyja's hand was all too obvious on the builder's craggy face as he regaled the snorting horse on what he was going to do with the goddess on their wedding night. Loki knew that this was the opportunity he was waiting for.

 

Taking long, deep inhalations, Loki closed his eyes, letting the seiðr energies suffuse his being. He kept his elation in firm control, as he felt himself transforming. His growing body bent forward at the waist, but before his hands and knees could fall on the ground, they changed into long, graceful legs. His neck stretched even further out; his hair turning into a silver mane that cascaded down in waves. When the magical energies stilled, it was only then that his eyelids fluttered open. He gazed down at his reflection in the puddle of water at his feet—no, his hooves—and was delighted to see himself changed into a pretty white horse. The only body parts that he retained from his Aesir form were his bright green eyes.

 

Time to put his plan into action.

 

Loki pranced out of his hiding place. At least, that was what he thought he was doing, although his still human mind would tell him that he was just running around while giving his broad hips alluring jerks and twists. Whatever it was he was doing, it was apparently the right thing, because Svaðilfari's ebony head lifted, those dark eyes immediately focusing upon him. Loki flicked his head in what he hoped was an enticing manner.

 

It worked. Before the builder could secure the tack, Svaðilfari broke free, charging toward Loki in a mad flurry of hooves. Alarmed, Loki literally turned tail and galloped deep into the woods. It was his plan to lead the stallion on a merry chase, keep him away from the construction long enough or at the very least until he tired from the pursuit. However, Loki sorely underestimated Svaðilfari's great stamina. It did not take long for Loki to realize that his breaths were coming out as ragged pants, but hearing the determined snorts behind him, he knew that he dared not stop.

 

Those cruel Norns, though, had other plans for him. Because he was charging blindly through the woods, Loki had lost all sense of direction. He suddenly found himself facing the steep wall of a cliff. Before he could even think of changing back into his Aesir form, Svaðilfari was upon him, mounting him with determined vigor, trapping him with his huge bulky body and powerful legs. A shocked human gasp was drawn from Loki's lips as something incredibly large was thrust through an orifice which he knew should not exist. Loki could no longer think about the terrible mistake he had made, before he finally succumbed to the overwhelming pain of his violation and fainted dead away.

 

When Loki finally awoke after an hour or more, it was to the sounds of enraged voices in the distance and rumbling thunder above his head. Somehow, while he lay unconscious, he had reverted back to his Aesir form. Mind still numb from the shock and body aching in pain, he agonizingly got to his feet, wincing as blood and horse spoor flowed freely down his trembling legs. There was a small pond nearby, the water of which he used to clean himself partially of his shameful defilement. He painfully limped back to where he had hidden his clothes, pulling them on as best he could. The trousers rubbed against his sore backside, so that he kept his belt loose to give himself some small measure of comfort, and threw his cloak around his battered body.

 

As he emerged from the woods, it was just in time to see his brother Thor point an angry finger toward the builder, now transformed into the Hrimthurs he truly was.

 

"I told you, Father," Thor declared, Mjolnir gripped tightly in his hand. "This Hrimthurs has been deceiving us all along. Any oaths that have been exchanged should now be null and void and the appropriate punishment be meted out upon this deceiver."

 

There was but a flash in Odin's good eye, a visible agreement to his oldest son's words. "Do with him as you will, Thor."

 

In silence, Loki watched as his brother lifted his hammer high above his head. And yet, he found himself turning away before several death blows were delivered upon the begging Hrimthurs' head. It was then that Loki saw him. Lying in a bloody heap not too far from the small group of furious Aesir warriors was Svaðilfari. In spite of what had been done to him, Loki could only feel a deep sadness for the poor stallion that had taken his innocence.

 

A heavy hand was laid on his shoulder. It took great effort for Loki not to cringe at that touch, as he gazed up at his father.

 

"You did well, my son," Odin said, nodding his approval. "You have done what you have sworn to do—given us enough time to discover the truth of the Hrimthurs' deception."

 

Thor himself bounded over to them, grinning broadly, despite the blood that was splattered all over him. "I don't know how you did it, but you did a marvelous job of distracting him. I was concerned that I wouldn't make it in time. You truly are brilliant, Brother!"

 

Loki would have beamed at the praises. Approval from both his father and his brother was what he had desired. However, he was too tired and too much in pain, so that he could only manage a weak smile and a slight tilt of his head, which could easily be taken as a humble acknowledgement.

 

"I am glad to have been of service, my King, Brother," Loki murmured. Without saying another word to them and ignoring their curious stares, he simply walked away, trying his best to keep his body straight, although the pain was tearing him to shreds.

 

As the weeks passed, Loki would have wanted to forget what had transpired between him and Svaðilfari. Even the nightmares of the stallion, pain and blood gradually receded with the passing of time. But his own body conspired against him.

 

It was while he was breaking fast in his chambers that the sickness hit him, causing him to throw up in violent heaves in the wash basin on the dresser before he could reach his private bath. Three more days of this morning torture, and Loki knew that something was wrong. On the evening of the third day, he did something which he swore he would never do—he lay down flat on his bed and examined his lower body, his fingers finding an orifice that was an undoubtedly female which was not there before…at least, not since that night with the unlamented Hrimthurs' stallion. By the sixteenth week, there was a visible lump on his belly, the size of a small fruit, and first milk was trickling from his breasts. As much as Loki would have wanted to deny it, he had to accept the horrible truth—that he was carrying Svaðilfari's foal inside him.

 

Loki could only feel dread at the possible consequences that the pregnancy would bring to him. He dared not imagine what Odin, Frigga his mother, and, more so, Thor would say or do if they discovered his condition. He would not even consider what could happen to him if he were finally to give birth.

 

Although the fluctuations of hormones were interfering with his thought processes, Loki forcefully willed himself one quiet afternoon to just sit quietly and mull over his dilemma. Getting rid of the foal was out of the question. It was too late for that. He had grown very attached to the babe he was carrying, so that he would often rub a hand over his belly and sing lullabies to it. He even has a name he already thought out after much consideration—Sleipnir. However, he could no longer do the vigorous activities, such as weapons and martial arts training, that were required of him. The only way to hide his state and protect the foal was to leave the palace and change back into the shape of a mare.

 

The following day, Loki had informed his brother of his decision to go on a lengthy journey to Vanaheim to study seiðr with one of their priestesses. Thor had wanted to come along with him, but he quickly pointed out that his older brother had no magical skills, hastily promising that he will return as soon as he concluded his studies. Surprisingly, it had been easy to get permission from his father as well, although Odin had asked him a question that nearly caused him to stammer.

 

"Are you sure that you go to Vanaheim to study or is there something troubling you that I should know about?" Odin had inquired of him.

 

"I'm well, Father," Loki reassured him. "Nothing troubles me."

 

"I hope, for your sake, that you are speaking truth, Loki," the Allfather had said warningly. "I will not have you hide things from me, things that may cause shame to this realm…and to me."

 

Although he was quaking in his boots, Loki gave the King of Asgard a stern glare. "Causing you shame is the last thing I have on my mind, Father." _That is why I am leaving, before you even find out what I have done._

 

In the eleven months that Loki was supposed to be in Vanaheim, there were reports of a beautiful white mare seen roaming the woods in the outskirts of Asgard. Some have even claimed that it was not a horse at all, but a unicorn. Many have tried to trap it, but all failed in their attempts.

 

It was Thor—who shared a deep love of horses with his younger brother—who came upon the mare one day. He just had an argument with his father about allowing him to join Loki in Vanaheim, something which Odin did not permit. Thor was sitting on a fallen tree, sulking, when a soft breath blew the ends of his blond hair from his neck. Whirling, he found himself staring at the white mare, its lovely emerald green eyes peering at him in concern. Reaching inside his pouch, Thor took out the apple slices and gave them to the horse, who daintily chewed them in its mouth.

 

As the months passed, this became a daily ritual for Thor and the white mare. Each day, Thor would sit on that same tree, waiting with his pouch filled with fruits and sugar cubes to give to his four-legged friend.

 

During one such moment, the fledgling God of Thunder said with great longing, "Your eyes…they remind me so much of Loki's eyes." Thor then wrapped his arms around the mare's neck and whispered, "Oh, how I miss my little brother so much!"

 

 _I miss you too, my darling brother,_ the thought filled Loki's mind as he whickered reassuringly. _I miss you too!_

 

It was seven days past the eleventh month when Loki noticed that the cramping in his lower belly was occurring more frequently, becoming more intense as the minutes past. In thirty minutes, water splashed down his legs, followed by thin streams of blood. His womb seized up hard, and a very human scream escaped from his lips. Miserably, he trudged along the trails, hoping that the movement would hasten the birth, but every step he took only caused him sheer agony. Something was dreadfully wrong, and he needed help.

 

Fear for the baby in his womb prompted Loki to return to Asgard, stumbling into one of the pens in stables where he lay gasping for breath on a mound of fresh hay. It seemed he lay there for hours, straining and pushing, but his child would not come out, as though something was blocking its passage. He wondered if both he and the baby were going to die.

 

Loki, however, was drawn from his painful musings by the sudden appearance of his father with Heimdall at his side. There was such fury in Odin's single eye that the desire to live was outweighed by the wish to die rather than suffer his father's wrath.

 

"Make sure that no one enters the stable," Odin ordered the gatekeeper. "Especially Thor."

 

To this command, Heimdall nodded, but he nevertheless gave Loki a reassuring pat on the flank, saying "All will be well, Loki." Why was he not surprised that the gatekeeper had seen through his masquerade?'

 

Odin looked at him grimly without saying a word. Then, with both arms, he reached inside Loki, drawing a tormented scream from his throat. Loki's legs flailed in sheer panic, feeling those strong hands going deeper and deeper into his body. Then, those hands stopped, having found what they were seeking.

 

"Push!" was all Odin said.

 

Loki screamed again as he pushed with all his might, while his father used that moment to attempt to pull the baby out. Loki could not help his sigh of relief as the foal fell with a wet plop between his legs, followed by the large afterbirth. In his exhaustion, he did not even realize that he had changed back into his Aesir form. Neither did he notice that his offspring has eight legs instead of four. All he saw were those adorable dark gray eyes peering innocently back at him, and Loki could not help laughing in relief, drawing the little colt to him so that he could lick the precious drops of milk that flowed from his breast. He completely forgot about his father, who was standing above him and looking down at him with uncontrollable rage.

 

Odin tore the gray colt from his embrace, the sudden separation from his nipple causing Loki to cry out in pain. Before he could even think to defend himself, the Allfather had seized his shoulders and was shaking him like a rag doll, two hard slaps falling upon his cheek.

 

"YOU WILLFUL, SELFISH BOY!" Odin roared in his face, each word emphasized with hard shakes that caused Loki's weak body to flop like a dying fish. "I warned you about doing something that would cause shame to me! How dare you go against the plans I have made for you! How dare you debase yourself with an animal!"

 

 _Plans? What plans?_ The thought barely registered inside Loki's head, stricken as he was by his father's wrath. "Father, please forgive me! I swear I didn't mean for this to happen! Please don't hurt me!"

 

Loki shuddered as Odin reached cruelly between his legs. He swiftly gripped his father's wrist before his groping fingers could reach his nether parts.

 

"Is this what you are, Loki? A whore?" Odin hissed in his ear. "Because if that's what you want to become, I am sure I could have use for your particular talent."

 

Tears streamed from Loki's begging eyes. "Please, Father! Don't!"

 

Before Odin could do more, he was butted out of the way, sending him sprawling on the ground. The god glared at the colt, which stood protectively before his mother even with wobbly legs.

 

Furious, Odin pulled a gold-hilted dagger from its sheath around his waist. "You impudent little creature! You dare to strike a king?!"

 

Loki wrapped his arms around his angry child. "Punish me if you must, Father! But don't hurt Sleipnir!"

 

"ODIN, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?"

 

An outraged Frigga entered the stables in a flurry of gold robes. Hurrying behind her was Thor, who was horrified to see the state his younger brother was in. As Odin's disapproving eye focused on him, Heimdall could only shrug in helplessness. As much as Asgard's gatekeeper honored every command of his King, the Queen was a formidable power unto herself.

 

"Loki! I thought you were still in Vanaheim." Frigga stared in shock at the pool of blood that was staining her gown and continued to trickle down her son's legs. "You're bleeding!"

 

Thor had already removed his cloak, handing it to his mother, who then proceeded to tear a sizeable length from the hem to make a thick pad to press between Loki's thighs.

 

"What happened to you, Brother?" There was no concealing the dread in Thor's voice. "How came you to be in such a frightful state?"

 

"Yes, Loki," Odin said, sneering, as he stood up. "Please do tell us what happened."

 

"Hush, Husband!" Frigga shushed him sharply. "You have frightened my son enough!"

 

With all eyes turned to him expectantly—Odin's gaze, in particular, was daring him to speak truth—Loki could only be grateful that he was a gifted Liesmith. The story that issued from his lips became his first great lie.

 

"I…I just arrived in Asgard this eve," Loki began haltingly. "I was going to surprise everyone. But I came across a band of brigands in the woods. They were butchering a white mare that had just given birth. I tried to escape with the foal, but the brigands…they seized me…and they…and they…"

 

Loki could no longer speak under his father's displeased scrutiny. All he could do was lower his head and sob, clinging protectively to his brave child. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

 

Thor's broad fingers brushed gently through his hair. "There is nothing for you to be sorry for. I will bring our best men with me and hunt those bastards down. They shall pay for sullying a Prince of Asgard."

 

"Oh, they have sullied him alright." Before Frigga could snap back at her husband, Odin commanded, "Take him to your chambers, wife, and heal him there. Those brigands…mutilated…him. I don't want word of this to get out in the realm." His head lifted to Thor, who was about to storm out of the stables with Mjolnir in hand. "Help your mother, Thor. Heimdall and I will take care of those ruffians."

 

Although his blood boiled with the desire for vengeance, Thor obeyed his father and went back to his brother's side, bending down to pick him up.

 

"No, I can walk, Thor," Loki quickly said to him. "But please? Could you bring Sleipnir? With the mare gone, he has become attached to me…as though I were his mother."

 

Odin snorted in disgust. He probably would have said more if Heimdall had not clapped a heavy warning hand on his shoulder.

 

"I'll take Sleipnir, son," Frigga assured him, lifting the colt in her arms, taking care of his extra legs. "Let your brother carry you."

 

Weary both in body and soul, Loki could only nod and acquiesce to his mother's suggestion. Thor carefully wrapped him up in the warm cocoon of his cloak. Loki could not look at his father as Thor and his mother brought him and his newborn babe inside the palace.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Recognizing the necessity for secrecy and discretion, Frigga personally tended to her son's hurts. She had shooed Thor away after he had laid Loki on her bed, but there was no mistaking his heavy pacing steps outside the door as he waited.

 

Frigga's examination had been most thorough. Loki waited for her recriminations, but his mother said nothing, treating him—even down there—with the tender expertise of a Master Healer.

 

When she was finally done, she sat down on the edge of the bed and took his hand. Probably sensing the tension between mother and son, Sleipnir trotted over, laying his chin on the coverlet as he gazed into Loki's green eyes.

 

"You're a sweet boy, aren't you, Sleipnir?" Loki laughed lightly, his fingers playing with the tuft of silver hair at the top of his head.

 

"Loki, my son," Frigga began reluctantly, "what I've seen… It isn't mutilation, am I correct?"

 

Loki let out a shuddering breath as he shook his head. "No, Mother. It was no mutilation." He then told her everything. Frigga just sat there, listening, her face a mask. Despairing that his beloved mother loathed him, Loki could only weep as he let the truth spill from his lips.

 

"I don't understand, Mother," he cried in confusion. "What did I do wrong?"

 

Frigga hesitated, clearly wanting to reveal something to her son. But in the end, she answered, "It is the seiðr, my son. You don't have full control over it. It…warped…your body, so that you could accomplish what you desire."

 

"But it was never my intention to turn into a mare! Mother, when I carried Sleipnir inside my body, I did some readings in the library. Shapeshifting with seiðr will only cause a change in the outward physical form, but not the gender. Even if a man were to shapeshift into a woman or a woman into a man, he or she would still retain the reproductive parts that would identify the sex. But in my case, such a complete shift would mean that I possessed both male and female parts right from the beginning!" Loki gazed at his mother in abject misery. "What am I, Mother? Some kind of abomination?"

 

Frigga threw her arms around her son and drew him closer to her breast. "Never call yourself an abomination, Loki! You are my son!"

 

"But…what more than that?" Loki asked insistently.

 

Frigga cupped her son's face in her hands. "Never detest this beautiful body that you are born with, Loki. It is capable of miracles, of creating and nurturing life. Why, I know of many barren Aesir women who would give anything to have a womb as fertile as yours. No man will ever know the pain and the glory of bringing life into the world."

 

"You make it sound like a blessing, but the Aesir will not be as open-minded as you. I saw the detestation on Father's face. I could not bear to see the same disgust in Thor." Frigga wanted to argue further, but Loki shook his head. "I have shamed Father enough. As much as I want to proclaim to all that Sleipnir is my son, it is a secret that I shall bear. I ask for your silence, as I know the Allfather would keep his. And I beg you. Please do not tell Thor the truth of my predicament."

 

Frigga sighed in surrender, seeing the wisdom in her son's words. "I will do as you ask, but please allow me to dote upon my grandson." She smiled, feeling a tongue lick her hand. "I'm sure Thor would want to do the same, since he absolutely adored you when you were in the guise of a mare. He always said that the mare reminded him so much of you."

 

Loki huffed disappointingly. "I had hoped Thor would recognize me. But I suppose he is woefully deficient in wit. OH!" He looked down in surprise at the patch of growing wetness on his tunic.

 

"I suppose it is time for little Sleipnir to feed," Frigga laughed, seeing the red blush forming on her son's pale cheeks. She unlaced Loki's tunic. "Amazing! You still possess a man's chest and yet your nipples are swollen with milk. Does it hurt?"

 

"Yes!" Loki hissed at her tentative touch. "Like my chest is about to burst."

 

"That's because a man's chest is not as round and full as a woman's. Have you tried changing into a mare or into a woman at least?"

 

Loki nodded. "None of my attempts worked. I must have expended too much of my power."

 

"You could squeeze the milk into a bowl. Here, let me help you."

 

In the next few minutes, Frigga taught her chagrined son how to express milk from his breast, letting the white fluid squirt into a bowl. Loki then slid gingerly down to the floor and offered it to Sleipnir who lapped it up eagerly. Both mother and son laughed in delight at the colt's voraciousness. That is, until Sleipnir, still feeling hungry, decided to bury his head on Loki's chest to nibble at a small nipple.

 

"Sleipnir!" Loki exclaimed in surprise, as the colt smacked his lips and started to suckle.

 

Ever infamous for his wrong timing, Thor chose that moment to barge through the door. "I'm sorry, Mother, but I have to know how Loki's faring and…" A golden eyebrow went up at the sight of his brother with an eight-legged foal suckling upon his chest. "What is he doing?"

 

Not knowing what to say, all Loki could mutter was a sheepish, "I told you Sleipnir thinks I'm his mother."

 

To his relief, Thor chuckled and rubbed the colt's head playfully. "I doubt you'll get any nutrition from my brother's teat, little one." He grinned broadly at the fierce glare Loki threw at him. "But, as your uncle, I promise that I will help your dear mother in weaning you by fattening you up on the best apples and candies in Asgard."

 

"I don't want you spoiling him, Brother," Loki warned him, although he was inwardly pleased with Thor's acceptance of the colt who unknowingly was truly his nephew.

 

The smile on Thor's face disappeared, however, as he reported, "Father says that Sleipnir is a cursed beast and should be killed before he brings misfortune upon Asgard."

 

"What nonsense! I swear I must get him into bed so that he could go straight into Odinsleep! The lack of it has turned him mad!" Frigga declared in outrage. "Stay here, my sons. I shall have strong, angry words with your father." And she stormed out of her chamber, slamming the door with a resounding bang that rattled the rafters.

 

The two brothers sat in companionable silence, their hands relishing the soft hairs on the foal's body. Having had his fill, Sleipnir curled up on the floor with his head on Loki's lap. Before his brother's attention could be drawn toward his chest, Loki pulled his tunic closed. As he resumed running his fingers over Sleipnir's baby down, Thor's fingers closed around his hand.

 

"I swear to you, Loki," Thor began in all solemnity. "I will see no harm befall Sleipnir."

 

His voice choked with emotion, the only thing that Loki could say was "I thank you, Brother."

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Odin never made good on his threat to destroy the eight-legged monstrosity that was his youngest son's offspring, thanks to the recalcitrant objections of Frigga and Thor. Even Heimdall weighed in his strong views that the colt should be allowed to live. Loki, however, knew that this was just a temporary reprieve. If he were to see his firstborn truly safe, he would have to set him free from the confines of the realm.

 

As the months passed, Loki cherished each and every day that he spent with Sleipnir. He would visit the colt in the special pen that was built for him in the stables, feeding him from his own breast when no curious stablehands were around to see. Perhaps because of the seiðr in his milk, Sleipnir's growth was rapid and his health hardier than even a Valkyrie's winged steed. When feeding him became a painful endeavor, Thor made good on his promise to help in the weaning. Many times Loki would chide his brother for pampering Sleipnir with apples, pears and sweets, treats that delighted the colt immensely. Sometimes, Sleipnir would not eat his fresh hay, not without a special treat. At one time, the colt had somehow managed to pilfer Thor's treat pouch through unknown means, which Loki could only suspect was magic, although he never was able to determine any magical abilities in his offspring.

 

"Sleipnir takes after his mother," Thor would often tease his brother, words which would only bring a sad smile to Loki's lips.

 

By the eighth month, Sleipnir has grown to the size of an adult horse. However, his demeanor was still that of a child, never straying far from Loki and Thor whenever they strolled through the fields and woods. With time, even these simple walks were no longer enough for the horse.

 

One day, while they were gathering apples in the orchard, Loki slipped from a tree branch and would have fallen to the hard ground. Sleipnir though caught his parent on his back. Before Loki could sit properly, Sleipnir took off in a full gallop, leaving behind Thor with mouth agape. Loki had ridden other steeds before, but never had he felt such strength and raw power as was being emanated by his beloved offspring. Riding Sleipnir was akin to flying, and Loki was exhilarated by the brisk wind that pummeled his body. Thor eventually caught up with them, thanks to Mjolnir. As he settled down behind his brother, Sleipnir accepted the added load willingly with a flick of his head and a happy whinny, not once slowing his pace, proud to show his mother and uncle what he could do.

 

It was Thor who voiced the thought that was inside his brother's mind. "Shall we set him free now, Brother?"

 

Although the sorrow of their eventual parting was breaking his heart, Loki whispered, "Yes, Thor. It is time."

 

But Sleipnir had other plans. Before the two young gods could dismount, he turned around. Ignoring his mother's protests, he rode back to Asgard, and to the stables where the stern figure of Odin stood waiting for them.

 

"It is time that this…creature…earn his keep," Odin announced. "An army of rebel Jotuns have gathered at the border. Sleipnir shall bear me into glorious battle. Thor, you shall come with me."

 

"Father, no! I won't allow it!" Loki protested vehemently. "Sleipnir is but a child! It is only now that he bore Thor and me on his back!"

 

"That would be enough. If he could carry my two sons, then he should be able to bear his…" A disgusted snort. "…Grandsire."

 

"Grandsire?" Thor frowned in confusion.

 

"How dare you call yourself that when you have never recognized him as such! Is this your plan? To bring my son into battle so that he will fall to a Jotun's ice blade? No, Father! If Sleipnir is going to die in battle, then I shall die a warrior with him!"

 

Odin banged Gungnir on the ground. His voice sounded like an echo inside Loki's head as he declared, "Enough! I will hear no more from you, Loki!"

 

Loki's hand flew to his temple, feeling suddenly disoriented. "What are you doing to me? What—" To his horror, he realized that the precious memories of Sleipnir he held inside his mind were being taken from him. With a furious snarl, Loki waved his hand, dismissing the spell that the Allfather had cast upon him with his seiðr.

 

"YOU DARE TRY TO STEAL THE MEMORIES OF MY SON AWAY FROM ME?"

 

"YES, I DO DARE! FOR HE IS THE SON OF A MONSTER WHO WOULD FORNICATE WITH A BEAST!"

 

"FATHER, DON'T SPEAK OF LOKI IN SUCH A FOUL MANNER!"

 

Their arguments came to a sudden stop when Sleipnir reared up, his four front legs flailing in the air. When they were silent, Sleipnir went over to Odin, back straight and ready.

 

Loki stared aghast at his son. "Sleipnir? What are you doing?"

 

Odin ignored his youngest son and swung up on Sleipnir's back. "Smart horse," he said, giving the withers hearty pats. "You made the right decision."

 

"SLEIPNIR, NO!"

 

Loki made to stop his offspring, but Thor wrapped his arms around him and held him back. "I promise that I shall watch over Sleipnir for you, Loki. I will keep him safe."

 

Helpless, Loki could only fall to his knees and cry bitterly as his beloved son bore his grandsire to what could only be certain death.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

For three days since their departure, Loki never stirred from the stables where he had been left behind. Fear and grief had shut down his mind, so that he was nothing more than a doll.

 

Frigga would go to him, bearing food, water, and fresh clothes. The food, Loki never touched. It was left to Frigga to cleanse him of tears, sweat and grime. His mother never suggested to him to wait inside the palace, knowing that it would go unheard.

 

Loki only roused from his stupor on the afternoon of the fourth day when Thor finally entered the stable with a limping Sleipnir at his side. There was a gaping gash on Sleipnir's left thigh. There were other sword wounds on other parts of his body.

 

As Loki hurried to his son, Thor said regretfully, "I'm sorry, Brother. Father had taken him into the thick of the battle. The Jotuns managed to score several wounds upon him before I could get close. Because of the extent of his injuries, Father wanted him killed, saying that he was hobbled, useless. But Sleipnir proved him wrong, bearing the Allfather upon his back with nary a show of pain or weariness. With his mighty hooves, he felled many Jotuns, crushing their heads on the earth. I wish you could've seen him, Loki. You would've been so proud of him."

 

Loki embraced his son tightly as he sent healing energies to seal the wounds. "I've long been proud of him, Brother. He is my dearest son, after all."

 

Loki wondered if his happy and relieved mind was playing tricks on him. But as his tears wetted Sleipnir's neck, he thought he heard a strong, clear voice make a proud declaration.

 

"An oath I give to thee, my Dam. I shall bring only honor and glory to the name of Loki."

 

 

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

 

 


	2. The Second Sin: Jormungand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story of Jormungand. There is non-con in this chapter, so consider yourself warned.

**THE FIVE SINS OF AN ALLFATHER**

**Copyright October 3, 2012 by Rory**

 

 

_The day after the Jotun forces were quelled, the Allfather at long last fell into the Odinsleep. Or perhaps 'collapsed' was the more appropriate term. During the feast in celebration of their great victory, Odin was about to carve the ceremonial roast when he slumped right on top of the poor boar. Everyone was in a state of panic, including his mother and brother. Although Loki—ever of calmer head—eventually decided to take charge and ordered the healers and guards to take his father into the sleeping chamber, inwardly, he could not help his perverse glee at the sight of Odin sprawled on top of that roast as though he were rutting that enormous pig on its plate._

_Loki chose that moment to finally release the laughter that he had kept inside for centuries, which prompted a curious glance from Clint Barton who happened to be passing by. He simply ignored the archer, letting his laughter ring out through the tunnels, only to deteriorate into soft sobs._

_"You should never have woken up, Father," Loki said bitterly as he pressed his right palm to his eyes to stem the flow of his tears. "You should've stayed sleeping for all eternity. Maybe we'd all have been happier."_

 

**_The Second Sin: Jormungand_ **

 

The many long years that Odin slept prove to be the happiest period in Loki's life. With his mother Frigga acting as regent in her husband's place, peace settled in the Nine Realms, as if they have been liberated from the battle fever that consumed them while under the Allfather's rule.

 

Thor and Loki enjoyed the remainder of their youth, together with Loki's precious son Sleipnir. Yes, they still had to fulfill their responsibilities as princes of the Golden Realm; even Sleipnir had to undergo specialized instruction from both his mother and his uncle if he were to become his grandsire's battle steed. But without the pall of their father's intimidating shadow shrouding them, they were free to do whatever they wanted. And, not surprisingly, they thrived while under Frigga's watchful and loving guidance.

 

Then, one cloudy morning, Odin opened his lone blue eye.

 

The whole realm celebrated the awakening of their king. Sumptuous delicacies were plentiful; ale, mead and wine flowed like rivers.

 

In Loki's heart, however, there was only apprehension and distrust. Even when his father sought him out to personally apologize for his appalling behavior back then, Loki's forgiveness was halfhearted. There was no mistaking the lack of sincerity in the Allfather's demeanor, even with his well-chosen words. He could only ponder when the Allfather will reveal his true colors again.

 

More years passed. The realm returned to its state of normalcy under Odin's rule, if one could call 'normal' the undercurrent of seething unrest that existed between Asgard and the other kingdoms with which it held uneasy truces. This was particularly true of Jotunheim, which stirred like a nest of hornets just waiting for the wrong poke with a stick by the Allfather to rouse them all to a frenzy.

 

And that stick, unfortunately, was going to be Loki.

 

"Loki, may I have a word with you please."

 

Loki—who was then heading for the stables to see to Sleipnir's needs—turned at the sound of Frigga's voice. "Mother? What can I do for you?"

 

"Not for me, Loki, but for Odin, your father."

 

Loki could not stop himself from flinching at his father's name. "The King knows that he need only command me and I shall obey."

 

Frigga's eyebrow lifted at that title. "Should it always be a command with you?" Frigga reached out and clasped her youngest son's arm. "Loki, how long are you going to hold on to your resentments?"

 

Loki trained his discomfited gaze upon a speck of dust between his feet. "What resentments? I have forgiven him, remember? Mother, I really don't know what you are talking about."

 

"I know you too well, my son. Forgiveness does not come to you easily. I…I personally would not be so forgiving if your father were to do the same thing to me."

 

He let out a defeated exhalation. "I'm sorry, Mother. But I just…cannot…forget. Every day that I see Sleipnir, I am only reminded of his wrath, his cruelty, and his strong intent to kill my son. Now, whenever I am in his presence, I do not…feel…a father's love."

 

"You know that's not true, Loki! Your father loves you! He was under tremendous pressure back then, which was further compounded by his fighting off the Odinsleep. There were just too many issues that needed to be dealt with."

 

"Yes," Loki laughed wryly. "First and foremost among them being his stupid son who made a wrong judgment and then allowed himself to be fucked by a horse in order to rectify his error. He called me a fornicator as if I spread my legs willingly to Svaðilfari. Not a single hour went by that he did not spit in my face how much I had shamed him and the realm." He shook his head briskly, green eyes smoldering with pent up anger. "Oh, I could forgive, Mother, but forgetting is a different matter altogether."

 

"Loki…"

 

"No, please listen to me for a change. I am tired of hearing about his lack of Odinsleep as being the cause of his atrocious behavior toward me. If Father had been mad then, it was because he _wanted_ to succumb to it. The Odinsleep deficiency was but an excuse for him to act according to his true nature—a vile old man who harbors unclean desires toward his own son!"

 

Loki's head whipped to the side as a hard slap landed on his cheek. As he looked at his mother out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Frigga's right hand was still poised in the air, ready to deliver another strike if need be.

 

"I will not have you speak of your father that way, Loki! You have become quite an expert at spinning lies that you've come to believe every indecent thought that crosses your mind! Odin Allfather will never sully his sons!"

 

"Oh, he will never touch Thor, being his heir, his golden son," Loki said just as strongly. "But me… I've seen the way he looks at me since that time, Mother, and there is nothing 'fatherly' about it. You can hit me as many times as you like, but nothing will make me change my mind about him."

 

"Shall I command you to see your father then?"

 

"If you so wish it, I will be forced to comply, regardless of my true feelings on the matter."

 

Frigga lowered her hand, knowing that it was useless to argue with her son. "No, I will not compel you to do something that is against your will, Loki. Forgive me for bothering you."

 

Disappointed, Frigga began to walk away, not even lifting her gaze to look at her son. She had just taken a few paces from him when she heard another sharp exhalation behind her.

 

"Where is he now?"

 

Frigga could not help the small smile that quirked up her lips. "In Valaskjálf. He had the guards close the hall so that he could cast runes in private. He's been at this activity since he woke up from the Odinsleep. However, he has been doing this more often of late. I am certain though that he will have the doors opened for you."

 

There was a brief silence between mother and son. When Loki finally broke the silence, it was with a question.

 

"Mother? If I prove to be correct in my…assumptions…about Father, would you believe me?"

 

"I'm your mother, Loki. Of course, I will believe you."

 

She listened to her son's departing steps. "I hope that you will not find yourself eating those words."

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

True to his mother's words, the guards permitted Loki to enter Valaskjálf without a single protest. Or perhaps they could not bring themselves to bar him entrance, considering the not-so-sane mumblings that were coming from within.

 

As he entered the great throne room, Loki was not at all surprised to find his father sitting on the floor with his gold robes spread around him like a glittering pool. Lying before him were well-worn wooden chips with runes inscribed on them. Whatever it was Odin saw in those runes, he let out a curse of frustration. As Loki looked on, the Allfather gathered them once more, mixed them up, and threw them on the floor with a clatter.

 

With slow, wary steps, Loki approached his father. "You know that you should not be casting the runes so many times in one day. You will either get the same results over and over again, or the runes will give you the answer that you want to hear, even if it is inaccurate."

 

Without looking up from the runes, Odin remarked, "And you would know that, considering that you are a gifted seiðmenn."

 

"That may be true, but I never possessed the gift of prophecy. Even if I had, I would never use it. I strongly believe that it is up to the individual himself or herself to determine his or her fate."

 

"You blaspheme the Norns with your words. 'Tis no wonder that they wove a bitter thread for you."

 

Loki's lips tightened into a grim line. "Mother asked me to see you. She has been…concerned…with your preoccupations with the runes and the future. I see now that her concerns are well-founded. But, since you seem in full control of your mental capacities this time, I shall leave you to your fancies."

 

Loki turned on his heel to leave, but he was halted by a cry of "Wait!" from the elder god. As he looked at his father again, Odin lifted his hand to him, a small request for aid. Loki tried not to roll his eyes in exasperation as he went over to the Allfather and helped him to get up on his feet. Odin was about to give him a pat on the shoulder, but Loki reflexively shied away from that touch.

 

Ignoring that gesture, Odin grumbled with a sigh, "I could never hide things from your mother. Yes, something is troubling me and I need your counsel."

 

"Why me? Shouldn't you be asking Thor?"

 

Odin briskly waved his hands as if shooing a fly. "You know that Thor is not that astute when it comes to matters of state. As distasteful as it is for me to do this, I'm afraid I could only rely on you."

 

"And why should my opinions matter now, considering the fact that you constantly slapped in my face just how terribly I erred with my last judgment, not to mention what came after?"

 

The Allfather made a strangled noise in his throat as he marched over to the dais. "If you do not wish to aid your father, then go. Bother me not with your odious presence no longer."

 

"If I do not find out what's troubling you, Mother would have my head." Grudgingly, Loki dropped down to one knee and thumped a fist over his heart. "How may I be of service to My King?"

 

Odin whirled, revealing the pleased smile on his face. Loki wondered if he had just made a big mistake in acquiescing to his father's childish tantrum too soon.

 

From out of thin air, Odin conjured up a roll of parchment and tossed it into his son's hands. "Tell me, Loki. What do you make of it?"

 

Loki opened the scroll, his eyebrows going up at the Jotun writing. He read the contents carefully, twice, until he reached the end. There was an incredulous expression on his face when he at last lifted his head.

 

"Well, this seems rather hard to believe," Loki began, rolling up the parchment. "A group of rebel Jotuns seeking an alliance with Asgard in order to dethrone King Laufey. Pardon me if I view this missive with a large measure of incredulity on my part. The Jotuns are fiercely loyal to their King. This…Angrboða…seems like a rabble rouser to me."

 

"A rabble rouser under the employ of Asgard in fact." Odin saw the look of surprise on his youngest son's face. "I had a private audience with Angrboða years back. It was he who informed us about Laufey's intention to invade Midgard. Apparently, Angrboða is a noble among the Jotuns who does not see eye to eye with King Laufey's ambitions of conquest. If it were not for the information he had given us, we would never have been able to quash Laufey's forces and obtain the Casket of Ancient Winters."

 

"So now, Angrboða reveals his true ambitions of wanting to take the throne of Laufey for himself. What makes you think that he would honor an alliance with our realm?"

 

"That is why I intend to send a…representative. To forge an alliance between the future king of Jotunheim and Asgard."

 

Realization finally dawned upon Loki. Gesturing to himself, he stated, "So I am to be your chosen envoy to Angrboða. And what, may I ask, are my qualifications that would make me the best choice for this…mission?"

 

"Unlike your brother, you are the more seasoned diplomat. There is no one else whom I could trust with this. Not only should this diplomatic mission succeed, it should be done in absolute secrecy. You know very well that there are people in this realm who don't look with a favorable eye upon our current truce with Jotunheim. You may even consider your brother to be among them. But, in order to quell all unrest, we must consider all possible options that may bring about permanent peace, and I believe that…" Odin pointed to the scroll. "…Is the best option we have."

 

The Allfather gave his son a meaningful look.

 

"You have a way with words, Loki. And you have other…talents…that may prove useful. Consider this an opportunity to win back my favor. If you should succeed in this, I might even think more deeply on the prospect of having you inherit the throne instead of your brother."

 

Loki laughed at that blatant enticement. "I have no interest in the throne. I only wish to be recognized as an equal with Thor." He then became dead serious as he looked his father straight in the eye. "Instead, I would ask that my son Sleipnir be given his freedom. A life of a battle steed is not what I envisioned for him. As much as you look upon his sire with disgust, I have seen enough of Svaðilfari's hardships at the hands of the Hrimthurs to know that I would not have Sleipnir be a slave to any man, even if he were the king of the golden realm."

 

Odin was incensed at the audacity of his son. With a snarl of defeat, he sat down on Hlidskjalf with a heavy plop and exclaimed, "Do what you will!"

 

"Then make it an oath. Swear upon your name."

 

Growling, the Allfather declared, "I, Odin Allfather, solemnly swear that I shall free the steed Sleipnir from his indenture to his king and to the realm of Asgard upon completion of the task of his Dam, Loki Odinson. I stress, upon _completion_ of the task. Do everything it takes to secure that alliance with Angrboða. And I do mean _everything_."

 

Loki could not help his elation at the thought that his son would soon have his freedom. Pressing his fist to his breast once more, he said firmly, "I hear and obey your command, My King."

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Why could I not go with you, Loki?" Thor protested as he watched his younger brother saddle up his favorite bay mare. Loki grunted, feeling another insistent headbutt at the small of his back from Sleipnir as well. "See! Even Sleipnir wants to come along."

 

"What is there about the word 'secret' that is unclear to you, Thor?" Loki said, mildly exasperated. "One would think that so simple a word would be easy for you to understand."

 

Thor flushed hotly at that insult. "Of course I know the word. What I don't understand is why you need to go alone? This is Jotunheim we're talking about here. You know that the Jotuns are not to be trusted. Somehow, I think Father had woken up from the Odinsleep too soon. He is still addlepated."

 

"Thor, you are all bravado and bluster. I am absolutely certain that my presence will be detected even before I cross the border into Jotunheim. You were never known for your discretion, Brother. Sorry I have to say it, but it's the truth." There was another butt, this time on his bottom. Loki turned to face his disgruntled offspring. "And you are not one for discretion either, Sleipnir. You'll probably charge through Jotunheim and create a riot with your proud whinnies and flailing hooves. Sometimes, I tend to think that you are more Thor's child than mine."

 

Loki could not stop himself from laughing as both his brother and his son let out identical snorts. Seeing the stubborn expressions on their faces, Loki sighed as he handed Sleipnir a piece of candy, which his offspring reluctantly accepted.

 

"Thor, you know that I do this for Sleipnir. This is not the life that I want for him. Father himself gave me the opportunity to ensure that he will attain his freedom. I will not let this chance go."

 

"Yes, I know, Loki, but I do not want you going into Jotunheim alone. I want to be at your side, to protect you from all harm."

 

"And I appreciate how much you care for me, but I need you here." Loki cupped Thor's cheek and smiled sweetly. "I will not lie that I too want you to be with me. But I want you here in Asgard to take care of my son. Please, Thor. I want to be sure that Sleipnir will be safe with you."

 

Thor laid his hand over Loki's and pressed down gently. "I will care for Sleipnir in your absence."

 

"Thank you, Brother," Loki said, feeling reassured. He then gave Sleipnir a kiss on the brow. "As for you, be good to your uncle. And make sure that he stays out of trouble."

 

"Why am I the troublemaker now?" Thor whined, and he grimaced at the sight of Sleipnir, who had curled his lips and was giving his uncle a toothy grin. "And what kind of insulting face is that? Brother, he really is your son. See how much he looks like you when you throw your mean barbs at me!"

 

Loki laughed at the comical sight his brother and his son made. Inwardly, he mused, _I would so like to see the look on your face when you do come to realize that Sleipnir is indeed my son in the truest sense of that word._

 

As he swung himself up on his mount, Loki admonished both of them, "Please do behave while I'm gone. I promise you I will return once I have concluded my business in Jotunheim."

 

Before he could ride off, Thor cried, "Loki, wait!"

 

Looking at his brother with a bit of irritation, he was surprised when Thor suddenly grabbed the front of his tunic and pulled him down in order to give him a heated kiss on the lips.

 

Loki broke the kiss at once, his face all red. "Thor, what are you…"

 

"Just hurry back, Loki," Thor said breathlessly. "We have much to talk about."

 

Without saying another word, Loki urged his steed to a gallop. It was only when he was outside the walls of Asgard did he slow his mount to a trot, his fingers fluttering over his tingling lips.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

As part of their education, the Princes of Asgard were required to learn every bit of information they could about the Nine Realms. This would include knowledge about each realm's geography, history, culture, and people. As a result of said education, Thor and Loki had preconceived notions of the realms. But no other kingdom has piqued their curiosity and interest more than Jotunheim.

 

When the Bifrost delivered him with split second precision close to the designated meeting point a short distance near the border, Loki could not help but feel disappointed. Jotunheim was exactly as he had envisioned it to be—a bleak landscape of crags and ice that towered above his head and which crumbled with the brisk freezing wind that blew through the land. Instead of snow, the surface of the Jotun earth was completely covered with hoar frost, creating eerie fern-like patterns.

 

For some strange reason, however, Loki was not afraid. For all its strangeness, Jotunheim felt like…home…to him. While Asgard's changing seasons made his sensitive skin break out into a rash, he felt no such discomforts here. Instead of being chilled to the bone, the near freezing temperature suited his body very well.

 

Loki shook his head of his musings about his current environs, knowing that he must not tarry any further. He wanted to return home to Asgard immediately, so that he could have a word with his brother regarding that not-so-chaste kiss he had been gifted with. A smile curled up the corners of his lips. Yes, he would be very eager to hear Thor's explanation about that.

 

With a click of his tongue, he urged his steed into a canter, heading in the direction of the outcrop of rocks in the distance which resembled a grotesque skull. Loki had just covered half the distance when he saw another rider approaching, clearly Jotun, basing his deduction upon the intricate loincloth he wore which was visible with the way his gray cloak fluttered behind him. He could not help but be impressed for the rider was sitting astride a roaring frost beast, its sharp fangs gaping from its mouth and its breath coming out as white clouds of steam.

 

As they drew their respective mounts to a halt, the Jotun descended first, striding over to him. Like the others of his race, he was of towering height, his head reaching up to Loki's shoulder while he sat on his mare. Before Loki could get down from his horse as well, strong hands lifted him up from the saddle by the waist and gently set him down on the ground. He blinked as the Jotun got down on one knee and gave him the familiar Asgard salutation.

 

"Prince Loki, I presume," the Jotun said, his voice deep and echoing like a well. "It is a great honor to meet you at last."

 

"You are… Angrboða?" Loki inquired. "Is this not a risk for you that you come to meet me here alone?"

 

"Royal protocol does dictate that I greet a visiting envoy with an official retinue, but doing so would attract Laufey-King's unwanted attention. Besides…" The Jotun lifted his head then. For a Frost Giant, he was very attractive—with rakish features, an aquiline nose, and sharp red eyes which would have pierced its prey where it stood with its gaze if they did not hold a twinkle of delight…and ardor…in them at the moment. The ornate lines and ridges that curved and curled around his head and the large, bulging muscles of his body only served to heighten the Jotun's physical beauty. Loki gasped as the Jotun took his gloved hand and gallantly kissed his fingertips. "…I want the unparalleled pleasure of meeting you all on my own." He looked at the Asgardian measuringly. "And I must say, I am very impressed."

 

Loki pulled his hand out of Angrboða's grasp. "My lord, I believe that we have much to discuss regarding your proposed alliance with Asgard. The Allfather would not be very pleased with me if this diplomatic mission turns into a courting ritual."

 

There was genuine confusion on Angrboða's face. "Why? Are they not one and the same thing?"

 

Loki tried to recall his lessons on Jotunheim relations, but his mind could not come up with a suitable explanation as to how the Frost Giant could possibly equate an alliance negotiation with a formal courtship ceremony. To his growing dread, he was getting the nagging suspicion that his father had conveniently forgotten to tell him a crucial bit of information regarding his mission.

 

Before Loki could come up with a suitable argument, he found himself picked up once more and seated on the back of the frost creature. Angrboða got on behind him, his large arms enclosing the Asgardian prince between them.

 

"Your gatekeeper shall transport your horse back to Asgard," Angrboða reassured him. "You and I have much to discuss, My Prince. I am certain that we will come to a mutual understanding which would benefit both our realms."

 

As the Jotun flicked the reins and kicked his mount into a fast run, Loki was as quiet as death. _Curse you, Odin Allfather! What have you gotten me into this time?_

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Five days of nothing. This was how Loki would describe the period of time that he had spent in Jotunheim.

 

In retrospect, he should have taken note of Angrboða's behavior during their first meeting, because it certainly set the tenor for the tedious days that followed.

 

The so-called "negotiations" were nothing but a farce. For all of the Jotun's bluster, the disturbing reality was that he has no concrete plans on how he would go about seizing the throne from King Laufey, whether it is through force of arms or through the shrewd manipulation of the disgruntled highborns in Utgard's court. He was even having serious doubts that Angrboða had supporters to begin with. The whispers among the servants only confirmed what he long suspected—that the Jotun's flowery words were naught but hot air.

 

What made his stay in Jotunheim a teeth-grating annoyance was Angrboða's relentless pursuit of his attention and affections. It was easy for Loki to turn a deaf ear to the Jotun's inane attempts at love poetry and other insipid Asgardian courtship rituals (which he probably read from some obscure romantic literature and did not even bother to confirm if they were true). But, when Angrboða switched to more physical, rather heavy handed touches, Loki knew that his frayed nerves could no longer stand the strain.

 

The only thing that prevented him from leaving Jotunheim was the ever constant presence of Odin's ravens, Huginn and Muninn. He knew that his father was watching him through the ravens' eyes when he was not sitting on Hlidskjalf. Many times, Loki would beg the Allfather to permit him to conclude the business with Angrboða, that it would not be a fruitful alliance. But no messages or action from his father were forthcoming. All the ravens did were to sit at the window sill or chandelier of the chamber where he was at and watch.

 

It was on the evening of the fifth day, during a particularly boisterous feast, that Loki finally snapped. He was sitting at the head table in sullen silence, picking at his food, while Angrboða regaled his guests of tales of his great feats—all of them lies and poor crafted at that, in Loki's lofty opinion.

 

Loki stood up then, mumbling an excuse that he was not feeling well. Suddenly, large, brawny arms grabbed him and, before he knew what was happening, he was sitting on Angrboða's lap, feeling those large hands groping his chest over his leather coat.

 

"Be happy for me, my friends!" was Angrboða's drunken and proud declaration. "On the morrow, I shall be wedded to a Prince of Asgard! Very soon, both the Golden Realm and Jotunheim shall fall into my hands!"

 

Furious, Loki shook himself free from the Jotun's grasp. "GET YOUR FRIGID PAWS OFF ME!" he shouted, and his hand connected with Angrboða's cheek. Unmindful of the seething fury in the Jotun's red eyes, Loki snapped, "Mead and ale has drowned out what little wit you possess! Are you a fool that you think yourself worthy of claiming the hand of Asgard's Prince? You are beneath me, silly Jotun! I would much rather lie with a horse than sully myself with a filthy Jotun with delusions of grandeur!"

 

Loki instantly regretted the words that flew out of his mouth when a strong hand grabbed him by the neck. He thought the Jotun would tear his head off, but it would have been the better option when he suddenly found himself slammed down on top of the table.

 

"You think yourself above me, little prince, because I am a filthy Jotun?" Angrboða spat the word 'prince' right in his face. "But of course, you would know about lying with horses, since you have been fucked by one!"

 

Loki stared in shock at the angry Jotun. How did Angrboða know…unless… Before he could offer a heated rebuke, he was flipped onto his belly on the tabletop, so that he was now facing the laughing Jotuns in the banquet hall. In his immense shame, it barely registered to him that Angrboða had jerked off his belt and yanked his trousers down, baring his buttocks. A harsh cry was wrenched from his lips as his ass was split open by the Jotun's enormous member, the table beneath him rocking with every thrust.

 

"Tell me, Prince Loki, does that feel small to you? How do I compare to your horse lover?" Loki heard Angrboða whisper lustfully in his ear.

 

The sudden invasion, however, had stilled the Liesmith's tongue. Worse, it seemed as if every cell in his body was being permeated with the freeze of the Jotun's hard flesh. To his horror, he saw that his hands—which were clinging to the table's edge in front of him—were slowly turning blue.

 

"Stop!" Loki gasped, suddenly fearful that his body will succumb to frostbite. "Get off me!"

 

But Angrboða did not heed his pleas. Instead, the Jotun's probing fingers reached further down between his legs and inadvertently made a startling discovery of a second orifice. Loki gritted his teeth as he felt himself getting wet, his body preparing—no, betraying—him for yet another penetration. Then, hard fingers dug into his hair and jerked his head up for all to see.

 

"Behold, my friends! He calls me 'filthy" when he himself is one of us!" Angrboða roared. Loki cried out as the Jotun thrust his fingers deeper into his female entrance. "And he is oh so ready to receive my seed!"

 

"Put him in his place!" one Jotun jeered raucously.

 

"Let the runt see what he has been missing all this time that he has been strutting around in Asgard!" called out another.

 

"When you're done with him, share him with us!" Yet another Jotun called out with lascivious glee.

 

Loki earned a brief respite when he felt Angrboða pull out of him. But then, he found himself thrown over the Jotun's shoulder and carried away to the cheers of the others in the banquet hall. Still weakened, Loki could only flop helplessly on that broad shoulder as Angrboða brought him to his chamber. Kicking the door shut behind him with a bang, the Jotun threw Loki on top of his soft bed of frost and snow. As he divested the Asgardian of his clothing, Loki's anguished eyes fell upon the window where Muninn and Huginn watched impassively.

 

Raising a pleading hand to the ravens, Loki cried, "Father, help me! Please don't let him do this to me!" To his dismay, however, the two birds just sat there and continued to watch.

 

If no help was forthcoming from his father, he would rather fight and die while protecting what little honor he still possessed. When Angrboða climbed on top of his naked form, Loki fought back—throwing punches, raking nails over blue skin, kicking out, anything. At one point, he even attempted to unleash a powerful spell, but the wards in the Jotun's chamber caused his magic to fizzle out. But all of his efforts proved to be in vain when Angrboða spread his legs roughly and plunged into his female entrance this time. Still, Loki would not give up, fighting with tooth and nail until that last, devastating moment when the Jotun buried himself deep into the poor prince's body and spilled out his frigid seed. And even that was not enough for Angrboða.

 

Throughout that night, Angrboða took him many times in both orifices, the Jotun's lust fueling his body with energies that would wipe out even the most amorous Asgardian. By this time, Loki was spent, his poor flesh nothing more than a receptacle for the Jotun's insatiable ardor and disgusting seed. It was while he was being bounced up and down on Angrboða's still inflated member that he finally glimpsed his reflection on the icy walls of the Jotun's chamber. It was that image which finally caused him to scream and his mind to shut down completely.

 

Reflected back at him was a small, fragile, but undeniably blue, image of a Jotun.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

The sun had yet to rise when Loki lifted his head from the bed. Although every inch of his body was screaming in pain at the repeated ravishments that he had to endure, he forced himself to get up, carefully pushing aside the heavy blue arm that was lying on top of his blood- and come-streaked buttocks. As he all but stumbled toward the door, it never entered his mind to find clothing or to retrieve a garment from his chamber. There was only one thought on his mind—he had to get away, he had to escape. Now.

 

Because of the feast the previous night, the hallways of Angrboða's keep were devoid of servants, guests and guards. Limping, Loki walked through the empty corridors, went down the long ice staircases to the entrance hall, before at last squeezing through the heavy front doors. Although his body was being pummeled by Jotunheim's icy winds, Loki would not stop his mournful march until he was outside. He would have walked beyond the gates, but his knees gave out on him and he fell to the frosty ground. Snowflakes dusted his dark hair as he lay there for a couple of minutes.

 

Lifting his eyes to the heaven, Loki was about to call his father's name. But remembering how Odin had permitted his violation, he chose to deliver his plea for help to someone else.

 

"Heimdall, if you can hear me, please open the Bifrost," Loki rasped plaintively. "I beg of you. Please bring me home."

 

Suddenly, there was an outraged roar behind him. Loki whirled around, horrified, to see torchlights flickering on one by one in each and every window of the keep. Furious shouts and commands came from within. There was no mistaking Angrboða's voice.

 

"Heimdall, please!" Loki sobbed in desperation, his tears freezing into ice upon his cheeks. "Don't let him hurt me again!"

 

Then, the front doors banged upon and an enraged Angrboða stood at the entranceway, his red eyes flashing with rage. "YOU!" That cold, deep voice caused Loki to shudder.

 

"HEIMDALL!"

 

To Loki's immense relief, a beam of warm gold fell upon him and he felt the strong tug of the Bifrost as it brought him out of the hell from which he came. The next thing he knew, he was collapsing into someone's arms and he could hear the panicked whinnying of a horse.

 

No, not just any horse. It was his son Sleipnir.

 

"Loki, Brother! By the gods, who dared defile you?" Loki gazed up into Thor's handsome face. He felt the soft velvet of the Thunder God's cloak being wrapped around his naked form. "Damn it! I knew it was a mistake to let you go to Jotunheim alone!"

 

"Forgive me, my prince!" It was Heimdall who spoke up then, and the gatekeeper's dark eyes were heavy with pain and remorse. "I would have brought you home sooner. But your father expressly forbade me from doing so without a command from him."

 

"There is nothing to forgive, Heimdall," Loki whispered, his hand reaching out to Sleipnir, who had tears streaming from his eyes. "The Allfather wanted…this…to befall me."

 

"What?" Thor asked in disbelief. "I…I don't understand. Your defilement…how could this be father's doing?"

 

Despite the pain that he was suffering, Loki forced himself to get to his feet. "I will have words with the Allfather. Where is he now, Heimdall?"

 

"In Gladsheim with your mother, in a meeting with the Elders."

 

Loki was about to weave the spell that would bring him to Gladsheim, but then he felt Thor seize his arm. "I do not want you to be with me when I confront the Allfather, Thor. Things will be said about me, things which I do not wish for you to hear and that will make you think ill of me."

 

"You are my brother, Loki," Thor, however, said adamantly. "No one knows you better than I do. No words can persuade me otherwise, even if it comes from Father's lips." Firm blue eyes held the younger god's tear-filled green ones as he declared, "I love you, Loki."

 

"Ah, but I am no longer worthy of your love," Loki replied with painful regret.

 

Before Thor could say more, Loki cast the spell of teleportation. Ever with the flare for dramatics, the two brothers appeared right at the heart of Gladsheim amidst swirling red and green flames. Frigga and the Elders rose from their seats, startled by the sudden appearance of Asgard's princes. Only Odin remained seated on the High Chair, Huninn and Muninn perched on the carved protrusions of the backrest.

 

"Loki," the Allfather began evenly, "have you come with good tidings for this realm?"

 

Loki stepped away from his brother's protective embrace. Wrapping Thor's cloak around his naked, aching body, he limped toward Odin. "Nay, My King." He spoke the title with abject derision. "I come with a grievance for which I desire explanations and recompense."

 

"And what grievance is this?"

 

At this prompting, Loki raised his voice in order for everyone in Gladsheim to hear what he has to say. "The King sent me on a mission to forge an alliance with a Jotun rebel who seeks to dethrone King Laufey of Jotunheim."

 

Murmurs instantly rose among the Elders. It was obvious on their wrinkled faces that they knew nothing of this plan. The same confusion was mirrored on Frigga's face.

 

Steeling himself for what was to come, Loki continued, "Instead, I had met with an incompetent fool with delusions of a kingship that can never be his…delusions which he should never have harbored…if it were not for the fact that the King had promised his youngest son's hand to him. When I refused his advances, the Jotun chose to stake his…claim…by violating my body in every foul way imaginable."

 

At this revelation, the voices of the Elders became a deafening, outraged din. The accusations of "Liar!" and "Liesmith!" no longer surprised Loki.

 

What did was his mother's strong voice which cleared the hateful words with a single command of "Silence!" There was only bewilderment and turmoil on Frigga's beautiful face as she demanded of her husband, "Odin! What have you to say about this?"

 

The Allfather did not respond at first. Then, with measured slowness, he stood up, descended the steps of the dais one by one, and approached his son until they were face to face. What his father said next caused a tremor of dread to creep up his spine.

 

"You've always possessed the gift of twisting the facts to suit your purposes. Now…why don't you just tell us the truth?"

 

Loki stared at his father in bafflement. "What—"

 

As he addressed the Elders and his confused wife, Odin circled Loki slowly as a ravenous predator would a defiant prey that would fight to preserve its life. "Yes, I will not deny that I did send Loki on a mission to negotiate an alliance with Angrboða of Jotunheim. What I never expected was for my own son to try and seduce the Jotun for his own goal of gaining the throne of Asgard for himself."

 

Loki was stricken speechless, his eyes widening in horror at the blatant lies that were spewing from his father's mouth.

 

Odin, on the other hand, was not done by any means. Grinning smugly, he went on, "It is a shrewd plan, if I do say so myself. If you had been successful in your attempt at seduction, Angrboða would have been your thrall. He will do anything for you. Even get rid of the rightful heir of Asgard's throne."

 

"LIES! ALL LIES!" Thor shouted in fury behind Loki.

 

"If Angrboða succeeds in usurping the throne of Jotunheim, you would become ruler of not just one but two realms." Odin sneered at him. "But things did not go your way, did they, Loki? Angrboða rebuffed your advances. Now you come running back to Asgard with outlandish accusations of rape which I had instigated. Tell me. Just how did you get into such a state?" Before his son could stop him, Odin even went so far as to tug the cloak away partly so that Loki's defilement was visible to all. "Did you get a horse to fuck you?" The Allfather clucked his tongue disapprovingly. "You disappoint me, Loki. How could I have a traitor for a son?"

 

"LIAR!" Loki cried in rage as he lunged for his father's throat. But the guards seized him, preventing him from getting an inch closer.

 

"Take him to the dungeons this instant!" Odin shouted in command.

 

Desperate, Loki turned to Frigga as he struggled in the guards' grasp. "Mother, I do not lie! Not for something as grave as this! Please, Mother! I'm begging you to believe me!"

 

To his dismay, Frigga shook her head. "I don't know who to believe!" she wailed in anguish. "Loki, you have spoken far too many lies!"

 

Loki's lips tightened in disappointment and heartbreak. "I told you this would happen, Mother. I told you that you wouldn't believe me. I only hope that I live long enough to see you regret this day."

 

"SILENCE, LOKI!" Odin ordered. "If you were not my son, I would have you executed for treason! Perhaps I should have your lying tongue pulled out and your lips sewn shut, so that your vile mouth will no longer spew its venom!"

 

"FATHER, NO!" Thor protested, only to find himself held back as well by more guards.

 

As Loki was dragged away, the Allfather gave him a parting shot that tore at his very soul. "You can forget about your dream of freeing Sleipnir. The horse is mine…for as long as I live. Or for as long as he lives. Only death shall separate us."

 

Loki roared in rage and anguish. "My son will never be yours, Odin Allfather! While I still have breath in my body, I swear I will never stop until he is free of your tyranny!"

 

Thor reached out his hand to the angry, struggling form of his brother. "LOKI!"

 

Loki stretched out his hand as well, so that the Thunder God was able to close his fingers firmly around it. "I'm sorry, Thor!" he cried, his voice hoarse from the force of his emotions. "Please tell Sleipnir I am so sorry!"

 

All too quickly, their hands were torn apart. Before he was hauled away to the dungeons, the last image that was etched in Loki's mind was of Thor breaking free and pummeling the guards with Mjolnir. In a matter of minutes, he was thrown into a dark, dank cell heavily warded against his magic.

 

Two weeks later, Loki did not need his seiðr to tell him that he was once again with child.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Odin must have ordered his isolation because—with the exception of the guards who peered through the barred window of his cell door and shoved the slop that passed for food through the flap beneath—Loki received no visitors. Because of this, no one knew about his condition. Although the rough homespun wool of his prison clothes could not conceal his growing belly, none of the guards realized that their prisoner was pregnant, because he always chose to sit in the darkest corner of his cell.

 

For a time, in his despair, Loki thought of starving himself to death. However, it was concern for the child growing inside his womb which made him dispel the notion entirely. The babe itself soon became his only solace.

 

As he tenderly ran his fingers over his swollen belly, Loki would speak to the child within. "Let me tell you about your brother Sleipnir," was his usual beginning for every tale about his firstborn. He would then end it with, "I hope you could meet him, my child. I am certain that you would love and care for each other."

 

Loki would also regale his babe with stories of Thor—their many misadventures as they were growing up. But remembering those happy times never failed to bring him to tears.

 

"Your Uncle Thor can be dimwitted at times, but he is always so very kind," Loki would say as his tears trickled down his dirty cheeks. "I am sure that he is fighting for us right now, so that we will be freed. Because he loves us…loves me."

 

It was during these periods of loneliness and despondency that he would feel his baby move. Not like Sleipnir's rambunctious twitches and kicks. The movements of his second child was more like a gentle glide or slither, soothing his stretched womb as well as his aching heart. There was no denying how great was his babe's love for him, even while still in the confines of his body.

 

The birth of Loki's second son was not the pain- and terror-filled affair that Sleipnir's conception had been. Mindful of his mother's weakened physical and mental condition he made his own birth as painless as possible. As Loki slept and dreamed, the babe carefully and gently slithered out of his mother's womb. When his head and a third of his long body had emerged, only then did he untuck his short, stubby legs which ended in hands with sharp claws, using them to pull the rest of him out. Lovingly, he coiled his length around his sleeping mother's body until his head rested before Loki's, his fin-like ears flapping to cool the very pale cheeks. Unable to resist, he reached out with his scaly hands to cup Loki's face, his forked tongue flicking over those parted lips.

 

At those sweet touches, Loki's eyes fluttered open, a happy smile forming on his lips as he beheld his son blinking back at him through slitted pupils.

 

"Jormungand," was all he said in relief and gratitude as he took the serpent that was his child into his tender embrace.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

While Loki was prepared to spend an eternity in his cell with Jormungand, it was woefully fated that the time he would have with his second son would be brief.

 

A mere two days after Jormungand's birth, Loki received an unexpected visitor.

 

He was napping on his cot of dried straw, coiled in Jormungand's body, when Thor's bright, grinning face popped at his cell window. "Brother, you're free! Mother and I have come to take you out of here!"

 

But as the cell door was opened, the first thing that the Thunder God saw was his younger brother in the coils of a monster. Before Loki could fully rouse from slumber and untangle himself from his son's embrace, Thor stormed over and wrenched Jormungand from him.

 

"Vile creature!" Thor glared at the serpent in his grasp. Jormungand's fin ears flapped rapidly as he opened his mouth to reveal fangs dripping with poison. "You would dare to harm a Prince of Asgard while he sleeps!"

 

Frigga was equally horrified to see the serpent that was hissing and spitting at her eldest son. Rushing to Loki's side, she exclaimed, "Were you bitten, Loki?"

 

But as she gazed into her son's face, Frigga was stunned to see the anguish in Loki's emerald eyes. "Please don't harm him, Brother! Jormungand would never hurt me!"

 

"Gods!" Frigga could only gasp. "My son, please don't tell me…"

 

Irate at being held by his neck, Jormungand twisted his body and attempted to strike at Thor. Reflex prompted the God of Thunder to throw the serpent outside the cell, just as Odin arrived. As Jormungand hit the wall and slid to the floor, the Allfather ruthlessly stepped on the poor serpent. Helpless, Jormungand could only twist and writhe under his grandfather's cruel boot.

 

"Father, please! You can keep me in this dungeon for all eternity," Loki begged in earnest. "But don't take Jormungand from me! You already possess Sleipnir! Please! Not Jormungand too!"

 

To his dismay, however, Odin replied in abhorrence, "Now why would I want to keep a horrid beast such as this?" He turned to Frigga and ordered, "Tend to our son, Wife. I'm afraid that his incarceration has turned him mad as to believe that a monster is his child." He then bent down and seized the hissing and spitting serpent. "As for you, I shall banish you to a place where you can do no harm to the youngest son of Odin."

 

"FATHER, NO, PLEASE!" was all Loki could cry as the Allfather departed with his son. In his despair, he swooned in his mother's embrace.

 

When he finally awoke, Loki was lying on his bed in his own chamber. His brother and mother sat on opposite sides of his bed. Thor was holding his cold hand, his palm soothing and warm. Even Frigga was running her fingers through his now clean and washed black hair. But, his heart needed no soothing.

 

To be free from their touch, Loki sat up abruptly, only to have his vision whirl for a few minutes. As he waited for his head to settle, he felt Frigga's hand on his shoulder.

 

"Loki, you must lie down," she urged him.

 

"I DON'T NEED YOUR PITY!" he snapped at her, unable to hide his resentment and fury.

 

Frigga stepped back as though struck by a hard hand.

 

"Loki, please do not speak to Mother like that," Thor admonished his younger brother. "It was she who never wavered in appealing to Father to grant you clemency. The Allfather would never have listened to my pleas if not for her aid."

 

"And why would you do that…Mother?" Loki glared at Frigga as he yanked the blanket from his body. "Regretting that you did not believe what I told you about Father? Well, it has happened. I should never have allowed you to convince me to speak with him that day. Now, the damage has been done, and I have only you to blame."

 

"LOKI!"

 

Frigga raised a halting hand to her eldest. Sighing heavily, she began with trembling voice, "Yes, you can level all blame upon me for the misfortune that has befallen you. But…"

 

"You still cannot believe me. Understandable. I am the God of Lies and Mischief after all. Who would believe anything I say?" Loki stood up and went straight to his closet. He took out his traveling bag and began putting clothes inside. "If you truly desire to know the truth, you should speak to Heimdall…if Father had not gagged him."

 

Thor approached his brother, confusion obvious on his face. "What're you doing?"

 

"I am going to look for Jormungand," Loki said simply.

 

"Brother, you are not well from your long imprisonment. Why risk your health for a monster?"

 

"That…monster…was the only one who gave me solace and protection while my own kith and kin abandoned me to my fate!"

 

"Loki, I am so very sorry that I was not able to free you any sooner," Thor could not conceal the hurt in his voice. "But I'm begging you. Do not go. If that serpent is that important to you, I will help you look for it."

 

"You don't get it, do you, Thor? This is not just about Jormungand. I cannot stand to look at you. ALL OF YOU!" Loki threw his fiercest gaze at his brother and mother as he tightened the ties of his bag. "I need to get away from here! Far away!"

 

He tugged off his bed gown and proceeded to put on his traveling clothes when strong arms embraced him. For a moment, he stood very still, feeling only the warm drops of tears upon his shoulder.

 

"Father banished Jormungand to Midgard. I was able to obtain that little information from him," Thor whispered in his ear. "If you should learn to forgive us…me, know that you still have a home here in Asgard. With Sleipnir…and with me."

 

Although tears were threatening to pour from his eyes, Loki swallowed them down. "Sentiment," he rasped bitterly. "They never did me any good."

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

For several long years, Loki searched the realm of Midgard for his son. Throughout his travels, he mingled with the people of the realm, immersed himself in their trivial, little lives. He discovered that the Midgardians were no different from the people of Asgard. While there were some who were quick to show their kindness to a stranger, most looked upon him with distrust and even outright hostility. For the tiny villages that sheltered him, he would offer them his assistance as a healer and as counsel for matters of great import. For those that turned him away, he showered them with cruel tricks and all sorts of misfortune.

 

Still, despite the mixed reactions that he had received from the Midgardians, Loki came to fall in love with the realm for its natural beauty, devoid of the artifice and the ostentatious glitter of Asgard's golden edifices. He also harbored some measure of admiration for the people themselves as they eked out their daily lives with staunch patience and faith. They were also smart and inventive, coming up with novel mechanisms that would make living and working more convenient. If he could find Jormungand, Loki would have wanted to stay in Midgard forever.

 

As fate would have it, however, it was not Loki who found Jormungand, but Thor.

 

He was cooking a meager supper in his tiny cottage when there was a knock on his door. Believing that it was one of the people from the nearby village requiring his healing services, he hastened to open it, only to discover his older brother practically blocking the doorway.

 

"I know where Jormungand is," Thor said simply before Loki could slam the door in his face. "I will take you to him."

 

Traveling through the air with the help of Mjolnir, the Thunder God told him about how he found Jormungand by accident when he and the giant Hymir were fishing in the great lake somewhere in the highlands. Apparently, it was the serpent that Thor caught on his fishing line instead of a fish. But Loki did not listen to his brother's rambling narrative. All he wanted was to see his son again.

 

Before long, they arrived at the lake in question. As soon as Thor released him, Loki hurried to the shore, gazing out at the wide expanse of murky blue water before him.

 

"JORMUNGAND!" Loki called out desperately. "I AM HERE! PLEASE SHOW YOURSELF!"

 

For several moments, there was nothing but the sound of the lapping waves upon the shore. Suddenly, the waters rose up before him like a gigantic pillar. They just as quickly splashed back down into the loch, revealing the magnificent head and long neck of his son.

 

"Mother…" Jormungand spoke to him inside his mind.

 

Overjoyed, Loki ran into the water and threw his arms wide on his son's scaly body. "I have found you, Jormungand! I have found you at last!"

 

The serpent craned his long neck down in order to nudge Loki's face with his flaring nostril. "I never despaired that you would find me. I've long felt your presence, ever since you arrived in Midgard. I could have met with you. But…" He added with regret as he looked at his environs. "…I could not leave the safety of my home. I could only hope that you would find me here."

 

"It was your Uncle Thor who found you and brought word of you to me. Midgard is such a huge realm. I doubt if I would have found you without his help."

 

There was only bitterness in Jormungand's mind voice as he trained his gaze toward the God of Thunder. "Should I be grateful to him who had caused our separation?"

 

"Jormungand, do not blame Thor. It was Odin Allfather who banished you here to Midgard."

 

"That may be so, but it was he who tore me from your embrace. It was he who threw me away in disgust at the Allfather, who in turn condemned me to eternity in this realm. While I have no great love for he who banished me, greater is my hatred for him who is the catalyst of my misfortune."

 

Loki caressed his son's face longingly. "Then, I guess this means that I could not ask you to be with me, because I cannot give up on the love that I feel for Thor."

 

Jormungand shook his head, forlorn. "Midgard is my home now. And…it needs me."

 

"I do not understand."

 

"You have traveled while you searched for me, Mother. You know about the instability of Midgard's foundations. The earth plates shift frequently, which could only lead to disaster to the people. You yourself may have felt the earth quake beneath your feet."

 

"But what does this have to do with you?"

 

"As you can see for yourself, I have grown, Mother, during our long separation. What you see before you is but a small fraction of the actual length of my body. In fact, my body has grown so long that it can wrap around the whole of Midgard. I can keep the plates from shifting by coiling my body tightly around the realm and then securing myself by biting my tail."

 

"My son," Loki breathed out in pride and awe. "You would shoulder this tremendous responsibility for this realm?"

 

"I love Midgard, Mother, just as much as you. I would not see terrible harm fall upon it and its people."

 

Loki embraced Jormungand again. "Then I shall visit frequently. Next time, I shall try to bring your brother Sleipnir with me."

 

"I would love that very much," Jormungand nuzzled against his mother tenderly. "But, do not bring Thor with you when next you come to see me. I cannot forgive him for what he did to me. I will not be held accountable for the things I would do to him." Throwing one last heated glare at the Thunder God, the Midgard Serpent dove into the waters of the loch.

 

Sighing, Loki walked back toward his waiting brother.

 

"What did he say to you?" Thor asked curiously.

 

"Nothing. It's just between me and him," Loki answered, not wanting to tell his brother that his son wanted vengeance upon him. "Thank you for bringing me here, Brother."

 

"Then…would you at last come home with me? Father…he is going to proclaim me King in a week's time."

 

"My warmest congratulations to you, Brother!" Loki congratulated him. "I pray that you wear the crown better than our father."

 

He was about to walk away but Thor grabbed his arm, causing Loki to stop and look at him quizzically. "I…I need you, Loki. I fear that I am not yet ready for it."

 

"You have prepared for this for your entire life. The Allfather would not proclaim you King if he does not feel that you are ready."

 

"I cannot do it without you, Brother. You have been groomed to be my counsel. I will have no other at my side, except you."

 

Loki stared back at Thor, almost drowning in the pools of earnestness that were his bright blue eyes. "I am not welcome in Asgard. You know that."

 

"As King, no one will protest. I will make sure that you are welcomed. Despite what you think, Mother has been desperately praying for your return."

 

Loki exhaled as he laid his palm over his brother's hand which continued to hold on to his arm, clearly not wanting to release him. "Let me think about it, Thor. I do not promise you anything. But I will think about it."

 

Although Thor beamed, there was a tinge of sadness in his smile. "Then, I will continue to hope."

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

On the day of the coronation, Thor was pacing in one of the dark waiting halls near Valaskjálf. Unable to contain his fear and frustration, he hurled his cup into the fire, the mead causing the flames to shoot up.

 

"Nervous, Brother?"

 

At that familiar voice, Thor whirled as Loki stepped from behind the banner. Loki could see that Thor was startled by the raiment he had chosen to wear. Although he always loved the color green, it was usually of the lighter shade. Now, his attire was of the deepest green, so that it could almost be black. He wore his breastplate, gleaming gold on top of it, as well as his gauntlets, and a few similar embellishments. On his head was a helmet with the great curving horns of a ram. Looking at the God of Mischief, one would think that Loki was headed off to battle. But then again, Thor probably mused to himself, there could be a battle of sorts if his younger brother were to finally face their father again.

 

Thor laughed more from relief as Loki stood at his rightful place…by his side. "Have you ever known me to be nervous?"

 

 

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is undoubtedly the longest chapter that I've ever written. It might take a little longer for me to come up with another chapter of this and my other stories because there is still so much work to be done on the coffee table book. But I will try to squeeze in some fic writing when I can manage it. Anyway, the title of the next chapter is "The Third Sin: Truth" and, yes, it will take place within the context of "Thor The Movie".

**Author's Note:**

> Believe me when I tell you, dear reader, that it was not my intention to write this particular story. However, while I was attending some meetings for the coffee table book, I found myself getting bored and ended up scribbling some paragraphs in my notebook. I certainly couldn't write more of "Otaku World" though because I have a tendency to grin and laugh while writing funny stories. I didn't want to give my clients the impression that I'm nuts. In any case, before I realized what I was doing, I have a very long chapter in my hands, not to mention similarly lengthy outlines for what would be three stories. At this point, I am not really sure if I should continue this, seeing that I have two other stories--"Otaku World" and "Rising Sun"--which I prefer to focus on. But I guess, in the case of this chapter, it was just begging to be written down.
> 
> My apologies if this chapter has squicked anyone's fine sensibilities.
> 
> Next chapter, it will be the story of Jormungand.


End file.
